Our History
Concordis’ historical roots can be found in the work of the Newick Park Initiative (NPI).
NPI was created in 1986 to initiate informal and confidential dialogue between leading members of the African National Congress (ANC) and the white establishment in South Africa. In the expectation of the eventual end of apartheid, the purpose was to introduce discussions on contentious constitutional, economic and social issues, and identify potential shared ways forward. This support took the form of a series of ten conferences and consultations between the ANC and leaders of the white establishment, providing them with a safe space to discuss and identify common values which could underpin the new constitutional arrangements, and which would create a fairer and more inclusive society in the new South Africa.
Most of this work was carried out behind the scenes. Nevertheless, NPI’s achievements are undeniable. From 1987 to 1991, NPI:
Helped to build trust and confidence between the ANC and the white leadership in the period leading up to the release of Nelson Mandela.
Played a key part in persuading the ANC to change its long-held policies on land nationalisation and bank nationalisation, based partly on research into international experience, and thus help to move forward the process towards a formal negotiation process.
Helped to create the platform from which in 1994 Professor Washington Okumu, Executive Director of NPI 1989-1991, was able to mediate successfully between President de Klerk, Nelson Mandela and Chief Buthelezi to secure the participation of Inkatha and thus avert widespread violence and killing on election day on April 27, 1994.
NPI’s work in Rwanda focused first on rapidly developing Rwanda’s agricultural production.
Analysis by the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington DC, working with NPI, showed that a primary reason for the genocide had been the falling per capita availability of food going back to 1986. To increase agricultural production rapidly NPI helped to mobilise research and trials for appropriate use of fertilisers, improved extension services and other innovations which rapidly increased yields on very small plots of land. This then underpinned the economic revival of the country.
A second major theme of NPI’s work in Rwanda focused on the criminal justice system that had completely broken down in the wake of the genocide.
Over 150,000 people were arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of having participated in the killings, but legal staff as well as infrastructure were missing. The challenge was to devise alternative judicial processes that would help bring to justice those accused of having participated in the killings whilst helping to restore relationships within communities. NPI carried out extensive research on the issue, in partnership with several local agencies (including the National University and the Catholic Peace and Justice Commission). The research focused both on learning from the experience of other countries which had faced similar challenges and on assessing whether the local courts in the traditional Rwandan justice system (known as ‘gacacas’) could play a role in the process.
In addition, between 1994 and 1999, NPI:
Carried out research and organised a series of conferences and consultations on agricultural and judicial issues to build trust and help Rwanda to build policy to secure long-term peace
Acted as advisor and facilitator to the different actors involved in building the peace in Rwanda
In 1999, NPI started working in Sudan, initially under the name of Relationships Foundation International, working with the African Renaissance Institute to launch the Sudan Peace-Building Programme.
This involved all the regions of North and South Sudan in issues such as how to address the concerns of the Beija region and the Nuba mountains, the distribution of oil revenues from Abyei, and use of the Nile waters. These were important for building trust and ending the conflict between North and South Sudan. The final peace agreement was signed in Naivasha in 2005.
Concordis International was created in 2003-4, separating from the Relationships Foundation and building on this earlier work to try to prevent the escalation of the conflict recurring again.
Concordis focused its work on border peacebuilding, developing workshops and cross-border conferences to promote dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan on the management of the border and of livestock migrations. The team also participated in establishing and training peace committees for border localities. The tensions intensified after the independence of South Sudan in 2011.
